050: Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) and Aja (1977)

SCOOBITY WAH! Returning guest Libby Cudmore’s love for Steely Dan is so immense that we needed two albums to contain it. Much like the Oscars, we’re going without a host for our 50th episode, with Libby joining Rich, Mike, and Dan for 2+ hours of free-for-all Dansplaining. We’re specifically focusing on 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, where the Dan functioned as a full band under the command of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and 1977’s Aja, by which point Becker and Fagen had gone studio-only and ditched the band for a revolving door of experienced session musicians. Aja is a much smoother, “FM radio” album in contrast with Countdown’s breezy “AM radio” rock band vibes, but Becker and Fagen’s musical sensibilities and biting sense of humor made sure the Steely Dan identity remained intact throughout. So grab either a big black cow or a glass of scotch whisky and join us, because this is a really fun one.

NOTE: Rated Explicit for naughty language.

Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Libby Cudmore

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/050-steely-dan-countdown-to-ecstasy-1973-and-aja-1977

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